Director Michael Bay is joining forces with Patrick Hughes and Gareth Evans in the return of a Hollywood hit. According to Deadline, it was reported that the three critically acclaimed directors on a reimaging of the Indonesian action thriller The Raid for Netflix. The 2012 film was created, written, and directed by Evans and premiered at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival where it quickly garnered praise for its action sequences and cinematography. The success of the film lead to its 2014 sequel The Raid 2.
The Raid takes place in Indonesia and follows an elite squad takes with infiltrating a ruthless mobster’s den. The film quickly builds suspense as the team traverses the levels of a high-rise building, facing off against the drug lord’s deadly underlings.
The film stars Iko Uwais as lead character Rama, a rookie member of the unit. The cast also includes Joe Taslim, Ray Sahetapy, Yayan Ruhian, Sonny Alamsyah, Iang Darmawan, Pierre Gruno, Tegar Satrya, Eka Raahmadia, and Aldridus Godfred.
Evans won’t be taking on writing or directing duties this time around. The reimaging will see Evans as executive producer with Hughes and Bay tapped as directors. Hughes will also co-write the script alongside James Beaufort. Range Media Partners and XYZ Films are both set to produce.
“We’re incredibly excited about Patrick’s unique vision for this film.” Spoke the producers in their statement to Deadline, “It’s a distinctly original take on the material, which promises to pay great respect to the original film while also bringing a fresh approach and perspective that will set its own course in the action genre.” The reboot of the film will take place in Philadelphia, where an elite DEA task force will take on a mysterious cartel kingpin as they fight their way through his tower of informants.
Since Sony’s acquisition of the North American rights to The Raid in 2011, the film’s American remake has undergone many iterations in its attempt to market off initial success and subsequent cult fanbase. Stars such as Chis Hemsworth, Frank Grillo, and Liam Hemsworth were rumored to be attached in earlier attempts but ultimately amounted to nothing. With three of the biggest action movie directors attached to this current attempt, fans are eager to see how the trio will reimagine the film for American audiences.